Outskirts [Ion and Nash]

Ion Olith
District 3
Outskirts by Schmoop

Ion had managed to get out of the house. Mom had decided to shut down the store that day and there wasn't any school on the weekends - a rare break in her obligations as a daughter. Mom stayed back at the house with Copper and Coil, managing to get some cleaning done around the house while the twins kept themselves entertained. It seemed that as it started to warm up outside, Mom had found some kind of new life. Ion wasn't sure how much of that was feigned or if she really was feeling better, but nevertheless it was a welcome change. Still though, Ion would notice Mom lingering on pictures with Dad around the living room, soaking in their sentiment before getting back to distracting herself with dust bunnies and dirty laundry.

Luckily District 3 hadn't had any snow in weeks now that spring had started to show its face, but the tail of winter still lingered in the air, dancing around sunlight beams with cold whips of wind. "Going for a walk," she'd said to Mom, slipping out of the front door before Mom could say otherwise. If anything, Ion had earned this little moment to herself. Well, maybe it wouldn't be completely to herself. Recently she'd been meeting up with Nash, a boy that lived just a few houses down. She found that Nash and herself carried themselves in a similar way, chiseled away and aged by the iron fists of their parents, though Ion could tell in Nash's eyes that he suffered a viciousness that Ion did not quite understand. She secretly hoped he'd be there.

They weren't in the nicest part of the district by any means, the bricks had been darkened by a layer of residue of the District's factories and litter lay strewn at the base of buildings. This had only been worsened over the years as the industry changed and demand grew for vehicles within the District, especially in the way of tire production. Ion looked on in envy as a vehicle passed by her. She kept her hands in her pockets as she walked on, watching the vehicle turn left at the next block.

Out here on the edge of the District where she lived, the District Square lay in the distance. Steam rolled from towers decorating the District's skyline. Sometimes Ion thought it was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of everything, but it certainly could get lonely. 

With the warmth of the sun managing to pierce its way through the biting breeze, she approached her spot. It wasn't much of a view out here, but her focus was caught by the sight of a tall lanky figure standing along the chain link fence. It was Nash. A large brick factory towered over the boy, brutal even in its dormancy. The place had been shut down several years prior in favor of the industry change. It still served a purpose for Ion even after its closure, and Ion couldn't help but to think about places lost to time. She found one of those places inside of herself with the loss of her dad still looming over her family. She did her best to keep her head down and abide by the rules laid forth by her mother, hoping that in those efforts to appease her that she would be able to distract herself or run from her grief, but it was always there surrounding her, much like the grey jacket she wore now.

They'd became smoking buddies over the last few times of seeing each other. Ion felt a sense of camaraderie between them, meeting up every once in a blue moon to get away from their lives back home. The first few meetings were quiet, but Ion found herself becoming more interested in the boy. She pulled a silver case from her pocket as she approached him, unclipping it to reveal five hand-rolled cigarettes and a match book. Taking one from the case and striking a match, she brought the cigarette to her lips, watching the smoke flow from the end as she made eye contact with Nash. She took the cigarette between her fingers, flicking it nervously. "What's up, buttercup?" she asked, taking another drag. From this part of the District, beyond the factory yard that lay behind them and through the chain link fences, she looked at the sun beaming down on the trees, taking in the green speckles of new growth.

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